City proposes alternate plan for Route 6-10 connector

PROVIDENCE – With time ticking down for public comment on how the state should fix the deteriorating Route 6-10 connector, city officials have proposed an alternate plan for a parkway that runs from Roger Williams Park to downtown.

The parkway, city officials say, would among other things reconnect the surrounding neighborhoods, create an elevated roundabout, expand entering and exiting options and could cost less than simply replacing the existing infrastructure.

The city’s Oct. 3 proposal comes nearly one month after Gov. Gina M. Raimondo – citing safety concerns – directed the R.I. Department of Transportation to replace the deteriorating highway as it is, consisting of nine bridges and elevated roadways that carry more than 100,000 vehicles daily. The decision evoked outcry from neighborhood advocates, who contend the roadway must be redesigned because for decades it has isolated surrounding neighborhoods.

A RIDOT spokesman said the department would review the city’s proposal before making any public comment. •

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